franz PETTO

Franz Petto is an abstract painter and digital artist who explores ideas related to crises and conflicts. In particular, his work is a humorous response to the traumatic experiences of his childhood and the social issues of modern life.

The Story and Inspiration of Franz Petto

Franz Petto's father was deported to an extermination camp in Gakovo when he was only nine years old, a detention center built by Tito, a former dictator of the former Yugoslavia after World War II. This distressing period greatly influenced Franz's childhood and, later, his vocation.

Alongside his artistic training, he also worked as a mechanical engineer. In 2010, Franz Petto was interned in a psychiatric hospital. This period led him to leave engineering to fully dedicate himself to his career as an artist. Through his paintings, he explores his past and expresses ideas around collective trauma.

Education and Style

Franz Petto was trained by Emilio Vedova, a famous Italian artist from the Informal and Arte Povera movements. His works are filled with large canvases of colors, thick lines, and geometric shapes – often presented in the form of grids. His pieces suggest stylistic influences and trends from great artists such as Basquiat, Schuhmacher, De Kooning, CoBrA, Appel, Dubuffet, and Klee. Although his work deals with dark subjects, his paintings reflect his sense of humor and are never lacking in hope.

Exhibitions and Collections

Franz Petto has participated in several exhibitions, including a solo exhibition in 2015 at the Tacheles gallery, a former art center in Berlin, Germany. The artist has become particularly known in the virtual world, publishing images under the title ART BRUT&HUMOR - Eating ART with a Spoon.

In 2014, Saatchi Art invited Franz Petto to join their art advisory program. He has sold many large paintings to international collectors. You may have also seen his paintings in television shows as stage backdrops.